Home Safety Tips

Your home might be one of your larger financial investments. To prevent damage to your home and to save yourself money, time and frustration, follow these simple suggestions:

Heating and Cooling Systems

Heating and cooling system malfunctions can cause structural damage, fire, smoke damage and other problems. These suggestions can help minimize those risks:

Inspect, clean or replace your system’s filter each month

Check heating and cooling registers to make sure they are not blocked

Hire a professional to inspect your heating and cooling system at the beginning of each season

Buy a maintenance contract to cover regular service of major heating and cooling systems

Hire a professional to inspect and clean the chimney and flue

Call a professional if you see rust, hear odd sounds or detect odd smells from the system

Plumbing Systems

To prevent freezing, insulate pipes that are near exterior walls

Drain pipes and washing-machine hoses if you will be away from your property for an extended period, and particularly if the property will be only partially heated

Drain pipes to exterior faucets before freezing weather sets in

Hire a professional to install shut-offs in convenient locations, particularly before bathroom and kitchen fixtures

If pipes freeze, turn off the valve between the frozen pipe and the rest of the system to keep the ice from spreading

Inspect hot-water heater for rust stains or water on or around the water heater base—this can indicate a leaking valve or cracked tank

Inspect and repair caulk around tub and toilet fixtures

Turn off faucets leading to washing-machine hoses when not using the washer

Electrical Systems

Don’t overload outlets, circuits or extension cords. If in doubt, have a professional check the current consumption of your plugged-in items, the capacity of the circuit, and the capacity of the cords

Hire a professional to install ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets wherever they are required by the electrical code, and particularly near water and outdoor locations

Check electrical cords for fraying and cracking, and replace them if necessary

Never run cords under rugs or furniture

Keep flashlights handy in case of power outages

Consider hiring a professional to upgrade your electrical service from a fuse system to a circuit-breaker system

Install a surge protector in your electrical service entrance panel (usually your main circuit breaker panel, where the power enters the house), and install individual surge protectors at all major appliance connections